Apple files patents in Canada—and iPhone opposition revealed

Posted by Dennis Sellers Sep 23, 2005 at 7:05am

Ten interesting Apple patents were discovered in the Canadian Patent Database for the years 2004-2005. In addition, this report reveals three related links with respect to the Trade-Mark iPhone that was listed in the Canadian Database.

One of the most appreciated features that you’ll find using the Canadian patent forms is the ability to view all patent drawings without requiring a specialty patent-browser. So if any of these patents happen to interest you, you won’t be hampered in any way in viewing the drawings and/or rotating them for easy viewing.

2005 patents: (URLs for the patents are at the end of the article)

Method and apparatus for unique address assignment, node self-identification and topology mapping for a directed acyclic graph – CA 2408532 – Issued July 2005:

A node identification system is described for use in a computer system in which the various components of the system are interconnected via nodes on a communications bus. Once the topology of the nodes has been resolved into an acyclic directed graph, each node may be assigned a non-predetermined unique address. Each node having a plurality of ports has an a priori assigned priority for port selection. Each child node connected to a parent is allowed to respond in the predetermined sequence depending upon the port through which it is connected to its parent. Each node in the graph will announce its presence according to its location in the graph. Each receives an address incremented from the previous addresses assigned, thereby insuring uniqueness. The same mechanism may be implemented to allow each node in turn to broadcast information or the bus concerning the parameters of its local host. Likewise, additional information may be conveyed from each node concerning connections to other nodes thereby allowing a host system to generate a map of the resolved topology including any information about disabled links which may be used for redundancy purposes.

A rapid tree-based method for vector quantization – CA 2151372 – Issued April 2005:

A fast vector quantization (VQ) method and apparatus is based on a binary tree search in which the branching decision of each node is made by a simple comparison of a pre-selected element of the candidate vector with a stored threshold resulting in a binary decision for reaching the next lower level. Each node has a preassigned element and threshold value. Conventional centroid distance training techniques (such as LBG and k-means) are used to establish code-book indices corresponding to a set of VQ centroids. The set of training vectors are used a second time to select a vector element and threshold value at each node that approximately splits the data evenly. After processing the training vectors through the binary tree using threshold decisions, a histogram is generated for each code-book index that represents the number of times a training vector belonging to a given index set appeared at each index. The final quantization is accomplished by processing and then selecting the nearest centroid belonging to that histogram. Accuracy comparable to that achieved by conventional binary tree VQ is realized but with almost a full magnitude increase in processing speed.

A Speech Recognition System – CA 2151370 – Issued February 2005:

Maintaining dynamic categories for speech rules in a speech recognition system which has a plurality of speech rules each comprising a language model and action. Each speech rule indicates whether the language model includes a flag identifying whether the words in the language model is dynamic according to changing data in the speech recognition system. At periodic intervals, such as system initialization or application program launch time, for each flag in each speech rule which indicates that words in the language model an dynamic, the words of each of the language model(s) are updated depending upon the state of the system. Concurrent with the determination of acoustic features during speech recognition, a current language model can be created based upon the language models from these speech rules. Also, speech rules are partitioned according to the context in which they an active. When speech is detected, concurrent with acoustic feature extraction, the current state of the computer system is used to determine which rules are active and how they are to be combined in order to generate a language model for word recognition. Also, partitioning speech recognition rules for generation of a currant language model and interpretation in a speech recognition system is described. Rapid and efficient generation of a language model upon the detection of a current context at a second interval (e.g. upon the detection of speech in one embodiment) then may be performed.

Computer-human interface system for compound Documents – CA 2162583 – Issued January 2005:

A document centered user interface architecture for a computer system employs parts as the fundamental building blocks of all documents. All data is stored in the system as a part, which is comprised of contents and an associated editor. The contents and the functionality of the editor are available to the user wherever the part is located, whether in a document, on a desktop or in a folder. Parts function as containers for other parts, thereby facilitating the compilation and editing of multimedia or compound documents.

IPHONE Trade-Mark 2004/2005:

Handheld and mobile digital electronic devices for the sending and receiving of telephone calls, faxes, electronic mail, and other digital data; MP3 players; handheld computers, personal digital assistants, electronic organizers, electronic notepads; magnetic data carriers; telephones, computer gaming machines, videophones, cameras; prerecorded computer programs for personal information management, database management software, electronic mail and messaging software, paging software, database synchronization software, computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases, computer software and firmware, namely operating system programs, data synchronization programs, and application development tool programs for personal and handheld computers; electronic handheld units for the wireless receipt and/or transmission of data that enable the user to keep track of or manage personal information; software for the redirection of messages, Internet e-mail, and/or other data to one or more electronic handheld devices from a data store on or associated with a personal computer or a server; and software for the synchronization of data between a remote station or device and a fixed or remote station or device; computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks.

Note: the IPHONE Opponent was listed as Comwave Telecom Inc. On the other hand, Cisco">http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/0875/trdp087533500e.html">Cisco had filed for IPHONE in 1998.

2004 Patents

User Interface System having Programmable User Interface Elements – CA 2102910 – Issued September 2004:

A user interface element system (2) having a plurality of user interface elements (12) for marking, tending, organizing, and processing data within documents stored in an associated computer system are described. Each Clement (12) typically has an appearance which is uniquely related to the data or the function the element is designed to represent or perform, respectively. In their simplest form, these elements are only used to mark data within a document. Each element (12) however, can also be programmed to cause the computer (2) to perform some function in association with the marked data, such as printing the data or mailing the data to someone, A user can select particular data within a document using an element and have flat data associated with the element in memory (8). Data marked with common elements can be found by searching for a particular representative Clement in memory (8). Users can create their own elements, program elements with their own desired functionality, and modify existing elements. Elements (12) can also be compounded together so as to cause a combination of tasks to be performed by simply activating one element.

System for Object Oriented Dynamic Linking based upon a catalog of registered function set of Class Identifiers – CA 2166302 – Issued December 2004:

A system is provided for managing code resources for use by client applications in a computer, wherein the computer has internal memory storing at least one client application. The apparatus comprises a resource set catalog stored in the internal memory. The resource set catalog identifies a plurality of function sets of functions by respective function set IDs. Further, the resource set catalog includes set records which characterize the functions within me respective sets. A dispatch engine, in the internal memory, linked with a client application, supplies a particular function set ID in response to a call by the client application of a particular function which is a member of a corresponding function set identified by the particular function set ID. A lookup engine in the internal memory, coupled with the resource set catalog and the dispatch engine, is responsive to the particular function set ID to look up a set tad for a corresponding function set in the resource set catalog. Finally, a link engine in the internal memory and coupled with the dispatch engine returns the particular function to the client application in response to the set record. Thus because the link engine is responsive to the set record, which is not linked with the client, the client need not be aware of changes in the structure of the library in which the particular function set resides. Thus, the function set can be moved into and out of internal memory, revised placed in different sections of internal memory, and otherwise handled independently of the client, without requiring re-compilation of the client application.

Frame Structure which provides an Interface between parts of a Component Document –
CA 2179747 – Issued: November 2004:

A document-centered user interface architecture for a computer system employs parts as the fundamental building blocks of all documents. All data is stored in the system as a part, which is comprised of contents and an associated editor. The contents and the functionality of the editor are available to the user wherever the part is located, whether in a document, on a desktop or in a folder. Parts function as containers for other parts, thereby facilitating the compilation and editing of multimedia or compound documents. A data structure, labeled a frame, functions as an interface between a container part and an embedded part, and allows the two parts to negoclate with respect to graphic structure without requiring extensive knowledge of one another’s internal constraints.

File Translation System: CA 2152788 – Issued: November 2004:

A method and system for file translation is presented. The system and method add implicit translation capability to the Apple Finder system software. The invention provides file conversion capability that dynamically searches for alternative programs and translation software on disks connected to a computer both locally and remotely via a communications link, such as a local area network, and allows a user to select from recommended choices for opening or converting a document. The invention offers a user the option of converting one or more documents to a new format, without opening them.

Method and Apparatus for Bus Access Arbitration of Nodes organized into Acyclic Token passing and alternatively propagating request to Root Node and grant signal to the Child Node – CA 2151369 – Issued February 2004:

A bus arbitration scheme is implemented in a system where an arbitrary assembly of nodes on a system bus have been resolved into an acyclic directed graph. The hierarchical arrangement of nodes has one node designated a root while all other nodes have established parent/child relationships with the nodes to which they are linked. Each node may have a plurality of connected child ports with a predetermined acknowledgment priority scheme established. Fair bus access arbitration provides for bus granting in a sequence corresponding to the predetermined port priorities allowing all nodes a turn on the bus. The root node may always assert its priority access status to gain bus access which is useful for accommodating a root node which requires isochronous data transfer. Alternatively, a token passing arbitration scheme may be implemented where the token for bus access is passed around the nodes according to the above-described predetermined port priority scheme. Preemptive bus initialization may be triggered by any node upon detection of a necessitating error or addition or removal of a connection to an existing node.

Method and apparatus for unique address assignment, node self-identification and topology mapping for a directed acyclic graph – CA 2151368 – Issued February 2004:

A node identification system is described for use in a computer system in which the various components of the system an interconnected via nodes on a communications bus. 
Once the topology of the nodes has been resolved into an acyclic directed graph, each node may be assigned a non-predetermined unique address. Each node having a plurality of ports has an apriori assigned priority for port selection. Each child node connected to a parent is allowed to respond in the predetermined sequence depending upon the port through which it is connected to its parent. Each node in the graph will announce its presence according to its location in die graph. Each receives an address incremented from the previous addresses assigned, thereby insuring uniqueness. The same mechanism may be implemented to allow each node in turn to broadcast information on the bus concerning the parameters of its local host. Likewise, additional information may be conveyed from each node concerning connections to other nodes thereby allowing a host system to generate a map of the resolved topology including any information about disabled links which may be used for redundancy purposes.

Multiple Entry Point Method Dispatch – CA 2167306 – Issued August 2003:

The invention is a new object construct (40) that allows a functional object in a dynamic language to be efficiently used as both a directly-invoked function and as a method in a generic function. To accomplish this use, the new object construct comprises four distinct but related contiguous storage regions designated as a header (41), a meth-info field (42), a fn-prolog field (43), and the method body (44). When called as a component of a generic function, one entry point is at the method body or at the method-information field. When called directly, another entry point exists at the function prolog field.

What’s better than the name iPhone?

Okay, so it looks as though there won’t be an Apple product called iPhone. I guess that they’ll just have to call it something else, like PodChat. Do you have any suggestions for what Apple should call a possible future iPod based phone? Let’s hear it.

Oh, this should be interesting.

neo@macsimumnews.com

HYPERLINKS

CA 2408532 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2408532&language=EN_CA

CA 2151372 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2151372&language=EN_CA

CA 2151370 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2151370&language=EN_CA

CA 2162583 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2162583&language=EN_CA

CA 2102910 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2102910&language=EN_CA

CA 2166302 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2166302&language=EN_CA

CA 2179747 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2179747&language=EN_CA

CA 2152788 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2152788&language=EN_CA

CA 2151369 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2151369&language=EN_CA

CA 2151368 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2151368&language=EN_CA

CA 2167306 http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/details?patent_number=2167306&language=EN_CA

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